Dark Ages
by BlueDiamondJJ
Summary: (Past Life/AU) Throughout all of history, one thing remains consistent. Everything is different but still exactly the same. One never knows when evil may suddenly appear but one thing that is known for certain is that heroes will always be around to fight it.
1. A Tramping Trip

**I'm back! It's been too long since I last posted something on this site. Not that I've been out of ideas, just motivation. **

**But this idea has been sticking in my head for months, so finally, I'm going to write it.**

**I first got this idea when I was watching Evil Ages and the team got taken out by the Curator's ancestors. I couldn't help but think that in the actual story, some hero eventually stood up and defeated them. Around the same time, I was also musing on why Antauri was the only one to literally cheat death? Would the rest of the team have come back if they had actually been killed in action. When those two thoughts mixed I decided, yes, the team would come back. In fact, who's to say they hadn't been around before, somewhere and some when else. Who's to say Chiro was the only 'chosen one'. Why not all of them?**

**So I made this story. It's basically a past life scenario, though if you're uncomfortable with that you can just treat it as an AU.**

**The main characters have been put in a Medieval setting. Most character's names will be slightly or completely different, because it's too big a coincidence that everyone would have the same name in a past life. Basically, you can have fun guessing which character is which. I will point out that any character that has a name or title is specifically based off a character from the show. I don't own any of the characters, only my reinterpretations of them.**

**Also, credit to Grungekitty, both for ideas I based off her stories and for giving me the confidence to post this here.**

**Anyway, I hope you like it. **

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Chapter One: A Tramping Trip

"Hath thou found anything yet?"

Sparks paused from his trek up the rocky terrain. He leaned against a nearby bolder, panting. His fur was wet from the sweat he had worked up climbing the mountain. When he finally caught his breathe he glanced down at his partner. Several metres down, sitting comfortably on a rock polishing his sword, was Maclaurin who had decided not to join the red monkey in his endeavour to climb the rock face.

"O, the view is just marvellous." Sparks called down to his partner. "In fact, why not join me, as you were supposed to"

"Actually, if I recall correctly, thou werst the one to volunteer to survey the area" Maclaurin replied, not bothering to look up.

"Yes, but you volunteered to come with me, so why am I the only one climbing" he asked, exasperated.

"I volunteered to report back any findings to the Commander, and to ensure thee did not stir up any mayhem. Also, t'would be such a waste for the both of us to exert ourselves when thou art adequate enough to scout the area on thy own. I assume thou hast a satisfying view from thy position, doth thy not?" Maclaurin replied earning a huff from Sparks.

"Tis not much to speak of. Mostly rocks. Plenty o' rocks. Mayhaps I should grab ya some. Thou could start a collection. T'would go nicely with your humour"

"Perhaps if your body was as full of air as your tongue thou mightst hath reached the summit by now" Maclaurin retorted.

"You can talk! I am the one climbing while thou art just lazing about like the rest of the group"

"Because this assignment is fit for a squire, not noble knights such as ourselves. Had thou simply allowed one of the others to take the task thou wouldst not hath to exert thyself as thee have"

"I am the best scout we have and thou know'st it. The squires would miss something important"

"Then suit thyself. I still think thou art wasting thy abilities. We should be organising our battle plans and earning the favourable attention of our Commander. Instead, I hath to watch thee act out thy fantastical ideas of heroism…"

Sparks zoned out Maclaurin's lecturing and continued climbing. He and Maclaurin had always held differing views on what a knight should be like. Maclaurin saw it as a position of rank and importance and didn't believe tasks like these were 'important' enough for a knight to deal with. Sparks begged to differ. How was something like this NOT what a knight should do; exploring the land, discovering new places. There was a sense of freedom he got from being up so high away from everyone, being able to see the world from a distance. The air would rush about him and the clouds would look so close some days he'd feel like he could almost touch them. One day he would.

Sparks reached the top and took a moment to enjoy the view. The mountainside reached across for miles. To the north was grassy plains and farmlands. To the south was desert, with dust as red as the fur that covered his body. The mountain range acted as a barrier between the two vastly different landscapes. Most monkeys tended to avoid the area but merchants and anyone else wishing to travel between the two regions had no choice but to navigate through here, or spend weeks travelling around it, which was just as undesirable as going through.

The rocky terrain was a maze of hills, and narrow pathways. Bandits were known to roam the area and ambush unsuspecting travellers. Many people had simply disappeared in the mountainside and were never heard from again. It was a group of missing people that Sparks and his group were looking for. A duke and his servants from the north-west had gone missing heading back from a visit with the Duke Quinn, their employer. It was in his interest that the group be found.

Thus, Sparks and his troop had spent the last week searching the mountainside for them. Sparks had volunteered as scout for the group and had spent the week dragging himself up and down the mountainside with no luck with finding the missing monkeys. At least they hadn't run into any bandits. While he still carried his sword on his belt, his metal armour was still down at the camp and although he preferred fighting without it, the iron cover did have the advantage of keeping him being skewered by his enemies.

He had begun to doubt the duke was even in here. No doubt he had already gotten home and was stuffing his face with rich foods by now. With such long distances, messages tended to get around slowly; it took at least a few days just to get a message to another village. Sparks' troop could spend weeks looking only to get informed that the missing people had already gotten home. It wouldn't be the first time.

Still, until they knew for sure they would have to keep looking. If the group was still lost, they were probably scared. Sparks wasn't about to leave anyone behind like that.

Surveying the area, Sparks didn't see much. The mountain gaps left many passageways, any of which could have been taken by the group. Sparks looked around trying to spot movement, hear a sound, anything. But all the mountainside seamed to reflect was emptiness. He looked over the area again carefully, determined not to miss anything.

There! To the east. What first looked like shimmering from the sun was actually smoke rising along the hillside. Sparks quickly called back down to his comrade.

"I think I hath found them"

This caused Maclaurin to look up.

"Art thou certain? Did thou see them?"

"No, but there is smoke coming from the east. If the troop carries along the path we were headed you would see it"

"That could just as easily be another traveller on the mountainside. Still, tis the only lead we have so far" He paused, debating the risk of sending the troop in the wrong direction. "Alright. We should tell word of thy findings to the Commander. Come down now, Sparks"

"Actually, I could probably get there faster from where I am. I shall go ahead and scout the area. You can catch up" With that Sparks began to walk across the rocks towards the smoke.

"What! Sparks! Get back here! You need to receive permission from the Commander before wandering off" Maclaurin yelled at his comrade to no prevail. Sparks was gone. Muttering under his breathe, Maclaurin set off to find the Commander.

Sparks had very soon reached the source of the smoke. A small valley cut into the mountainside. It was hidden well by the mountain walls. If not for the smoke, he would likely never have found it. Sparks made sure to climb down as carefully as he could. It was a steep slope and he had no desire to fall against the sharp rocks that filled the landscape. When he reached the bottom he entered the valley. A few plants grew around here, but the area was still predominately rock.

A camp had been set up here, with many tents having been pitched. Many barrels and carts also filled the area and he could see a few animals tied to a log. What he didn't see were people, which unnerved him. What traveller up and left their camp set up like this? Walking further in, he begun to hear voices. Cautiously, he headed towards the sound. Near the centre of the camp where the sound was coming from, Sparks ducked behind one of the barrels.

Peeking out he saw a group of people huddled beside the fire that he had seen smoke coming from. One of the monkeys wore a black cape a gold emblem attached. This was probably the Duke he was looking for. However, Sparks could not stay happy with his find for long. The group, on closer examination, had both their hands and feet tied together. The group sat shivering and looked like they hadn't eaten in a while. Two large monkeys, one tall, one short, stood guarding them. Grey cloth covered their bodies, which was almost invisible against the rocks around them. Scarves hung around their necks, which was probably to cover their faces. More noticeable was the daggers that hung from their belts. The taller one also held a whip in his hand.

'These two must be the bandits that have been ambushing travellers' Sparks thought to himself. He knew he was supposed to wait for his troop but his body ached to pummel the bandits for treating those people so poorly. One of the monkeys, a child, noticed Sparks in his hiding spot. Sparks noticed her looking and placed a finger to his lips. The bandits were only a few metres away. He didn't need them knowing he was here just yet. The child didn't seem to understand and waved happily to him.

"Hey…" she whispered.

A loud crack startled the group.

"Oi. I thought I told you lot to shut up." The bandit with the whip snarled at the group.

"I'm sorry" cried the child. "I was just–"

"Just what, ay? I told ya no talking. Who ya speakin' to then?"

"N-no one, s-sir"

"Ya was tryin' ta talk ta someone. Who was it? There someone behind me, is there?"

Sparks ducked as the bandits looked his way, hoping the bandits wouldn't come over. They didn't. And their attention was quickly back on the group.

"One more peep out of you lot and I'll give ya'll ten lashes.

"But sir, we were just – AH!" The child screamed in fright as she was pulled from the group and thrust to ground beside where Sparks was hiding. The group made no attempt to stop them except for one woman.

"Leave her alone" she begged.

"Be quiet" yelled the other bandit, thrusting her to the ground. "Less you wantin' a lashin' as well"

The bandit raised his whip against the girl, who flinched. Before he could do anything else his arm was grabbed. Snarling, Sparks pulled the monkey closer.

"Yeah, you just made a mistake there, buddy. I don't tolerate anyone who abuses kids"

Sparks saw the other bandit coming over. Before either could react, Spark flung the bandit he was holding at him and the two toppled in a heap. They didn't stay down for long and they quickly stood up drawing their daggers. Sparks stood protectively in front of the child and drew his sword as well.

"Well, this is certainly unfair odds" he mused, smirking. "For you, at least"

The bandits lunged at him. Sparks evaded them easily.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked mockingly. The shorter bandit lunged at him again, slashing his dagger at the red monkey who barely managed to dodge the blade as it swing close to his neck. Readying his sword, Sparks landed the flat of his sword against the bandit's arm, knocking the dagger out of his hand. Sparks grinned triumphantly when a whip wrapped itself around his left arm and pulled him sideways. Not expecting this motion he fell on his stomach, inadvertently dropping his sword. The shorter bandit grabbed the sword and pointed it at his neck.

"Not so tough now, are ye" he said.

"That's what you think"

Before either bandit had respond to what he had said, Sparks hit the flat of the sword with his right arm, pushing it away from his neck. He rolled onto his back, pulled himself up and yanked his left arm forward. The whip came out of the tall bandit's hand. As the bandit went to grab his dagger, Sparks spun around and swung his arm into the bandit's chest. The bandit fell immediately and lay winded on the ground. He didn't get up again. The short bandit lashed at Sparks with his sword, however the bandit was not being familiar with the weight of the weapon and Sparks was able to dodge with ease. Stepping aside, Sparks launched a kick that knocked the bandit down. Neither got up again. Sparks' breathing was heavy as he took in much needed air. He turned back to the child. He smiled gently at her.

"Are you alright, kid?" he asked.

She nodded. He held his hand out to help her up. As she took it he could feel her hand shaking.

"T-Thank you, sir"

"Tha-" He was interrupted by the child hugging him. Her entire body trembled. Bending down, he picked up the child and held her.

"Hey, don't cry. Tis alright now. Thou art safe now" he whispered as the child wrapped her arms around his neck. He walked back to the group.

"I believe this one belongs to you?" he asked the woman who had cried out before. The woman nodded. He knelled down and the child, seeing her mother, leapt quickly into her arms. He watched as the child's mother cuddle her, whispered calming words as she stroked her.

"And who art thou supposed to be, squire?" boomed the duke. Sparks remembered that the rest of the group was still there and stood to face them"

"Sparks is my name, O' noble Duke of…" Sparks began, then realised he had no idea who the duke was or even where he was from.

"Sorix. Duke Sawney of Sorix. I am extremely well known in the Greenlands. Thou aught'st to know it. Of course you red simpletons never seem to do more than caterwauling around and starting petty fights. I suppose the Duke Quinn send you. He never was very skilful at keeping good company" The duke replied snarkily. Sparks glared at him. He really did NOT like this guy.

"My greatest apologies, o mighty Duke Sawney of Sorix. I have never been very good with names. However, might I add that I am a knight, not a squire. I would prefer if you avoided mixing the two up"

"I care not for your title, squire. You are here to rescue us. If thou wants to keep thy crest thou aught to begin on that"

"Of course" he muttered. Grabbing one of the bandit's daggers and sheathing his sword, he proceeded to cut the group's binds. He started with the child and made extra sure to leave the duke until last. When everyone was untied Sparks stood up and ushered for the group to follow him out.

"Alright, my troop is on their way. Unless anyone wants to stay here, we best be going before the rest of the bandits get…"

It was then that Sparks noticed that another group, all wearing grey, had entered the hideout and had surrounded them.

"…back. Wonderful!" he ended, muttering sarcastically.

One stepped closer, probably the leader. She smirked.

"So, it seems a squire has found his way into our camp" she said.

"Again with the squire. Really, how many times do I have to tell everyone that I am a knight?"

"A knight then. I'm sure we can get a few silver pieces in ransom for you. T'would be a nice bonus to what we'll get for the duke, right boys?" The bandits grinned at this.

"Only a few silver?" Sparks asked, mocking that his pride had been hurt. "I am surely worth at least a few gold pieces, if I don't usurp myself, lady…"

"They call me Crush, knight"

"Of course, I'm sure thou hast crushed many men with your beauty"

"O' you are a flatterer. But I can assure you I crush them with more than just my beauty"

"I'm sure you do. So how does this ransom thing work exactly? Do I just hand you money and then go?" Sparks asked, trying to draw out time. The troop was almost here. Hopefully.

"O' that is not up to you. Your troop can pay if they want you back alive, though I cannot guarantee thou wilst remain in one piece. I personally prefer a knight that can't draw sword"

Sparks noticed that while all the other bandits had brown fur, one had orange fur under their clothes. Seeing that, he smirked at the leader.

"Well, that sounds extremely delightful, but I think I shall pass on that today. In fact, I think we shall void the ransom altogether"

"We…" Crush was suddenly overtaken by the orange monkey, who held a sword against her neck.

"No sudden movements, any of you" Maclaurin called at the bandits. Crush laughed.

"You think they care. We hold not thy code of honour. Kill them."

The bandits rushed at them. Sparks knocked the nearby barrel to the ground and rolled it towards the oncoming bandits. A few were tripped up by this but many more came. A sword came lunging at him, narrowly missing him. Sparks drew his sword again and blocked another sword that came at him. He jumped back as multiple rushed at him and they crashed into each other instead.

Maclaurin was also struggling. Crush had pulled herself from his grip and attempting to strangle him. Gasping for breath, Maclaurin attempted to shake her off while also trying to avoid the attacks of the other bandits. Stumbling backwards he thrust his back against the rock wall. Crush cried out in pain and dropped down. He barely had the chance to catch his breath when more bandits attacked him. Sighing, he prepared to take them down as well.

Overall, Sparks was faring well. He took down another bandit. Out of the corner of is eye he saw one bandit heading for the group. Knocking down the bandit he was facing, he picked up a rock and threw it at the bandit. As always, his aim was perfect and he hit the bandit squarely on the head, where he dropped out instantly. He looked around and saw that Maclaurin had just taken out the last bandit. Sparks sheathed his sword just as the rest of the troop arrived.

"There thou are'st. What took you so long?" Sparks waved, grinning.

"It seems as though you two had this handled" observed the Commander, looking at the unconscious bandits that lay sprawled across the valley.

"As we always do. Maclaurin and I always make a good team" Sparks replied. The Commander nodded. He turned to the squires beside him. "Ensure that these bandits are properly secure"

"Of course, Commander" they replied and hurried off to obey his request.

"Good work in finding the hideout Sparks. I doubt we would have found this without your keen eyesight, though, next time give me more warning when you go to investigate something. It would be a shame to lose you." Sparks beamed at the compliment from the Commander and nodded at his request.

"Of course, Sir"

"Well, I best be checking up on how our Duke is faring. They do tend be easily flustered, would you not agree"

"Yeah. The child…all this madness may have scared her. Could you make sure she's alright too?" The Commander gave Sparks a small smile.

"Of course"

Sparks watched the Commander go over and speak to the group. He didn't imagine the Duke would have anything pleasant to say to the Commander. He heard footsteps coming towards him and turned to great him.

"Well, don't you have great timing? I love the disguise. It goes great with your fur. I was just-"

"Disobeying orders as usual" Maclaurin interrupted him. "Had I not come when I did thou mightst hath lost thy life. What made'th thee think that such a stunt was any form of a reasonable course of action"

"Oh, and what! I was just supposed to leave them in here" Sparks snapped. "Look! I rescued them! Problem solved! Is that not more important than waiting around for someone to give orders?"

"Sparks! Thou need'st to learn to think before thee act. Thy life is not the only one thee put at risk when thee do things like this"

"Look! That monkey was going to hurt that little girl. She was shaking like a leaf for crying out loud! Are you saying I should hath let them hurt her?"

Maclaurin took a deep breathe. Neither of them would win this argument.

"What happened is done. I am going to ensure our commission is alright. Since the child is safe now…" He watched as Sparks calmed at this, "…I am sure thee could put thyself to come use loading the cargo. The bandits wilt not be needing these crates anymore. Unless thee wants to speak with the Duke…?"

"No. I have been with the Duke long enough. He's your problem now." Sparks said raising his hands. Maclaurin smirked and walked over to where the Commander and Duke were talking. In Sparks' opinion the conversation was very one-sided and full of complaints. Sparks wandered over to help the squires load the cargo. His long day was beginning to catch up with him. He was very hungry.

"Hmm, I wonder if there's any food in these barrels"

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**And that wraps up the first chapter.**

**I'm going to be slow in putting these out. I have lots of study to focus on. This story is a side project to that. **

**That said, I am definitely going to finish this. The story has been planned out, I just have to write it.**

**As you read, I have added a little Elizabethan English. Not much otherwise even I wouldn't understand what they were saying.**

**The 'humour' Sparks refers to is actually referring to the four elements that people believed made up the body. Sparks is saying that Maclaurin is strong in the element of Earth (deep thinking) while Sparks is referred as being strong in the element of air (wit and intelligence).**

**Also, the name Sawney happens to mean simpleton, so right back at ya buddy.**

**In terms of the characters, Maclaurin is Mandarin as Grungekitty pointed out. I'm sure it's obvious who Sparks is (It's Gibson - no, I'm kidding. That's Sprx). Who are the other named characters? Try to guess. Do you want some sort of reward for correctly guessing who a character is? Or is the title of being first enough?**

**Until next time.**


	2. An Interesting Anouncement

**Well, this was updated faster than expected. I don't think all these chapters will go out so quickly though.**

**Thank you to BluePhantom99 for reviewing.**

**Just to clarify, no one else except Mandarin and SPRX77 have appeared from the main cast. One will in the next chapter though. I was originally going to have them appear in this chapter, but I felt that this chapter had enough in it already. I don't want to make extra long chapters. It's easier for me to go though one plot point at a time. At least that will mean faster updates. Hopefully. **

**Anyway, on to chapter two.**

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Chapter Two – An Interesting Announcement

"And then, using nothing more than my bare hands, I took down those two bandits"

Sparks was retelling the story of his battle with the bandits for the fifth time that day. It had been his favourite topic since the rescue and most of the group had grown sick of hearing about it. The squires on the other hand were more than happy to listen to the story again. Tonight they sat under the stars in the grassy plains, the mountains standing distant behind them. Everyone sat around the blazing fire, kept alive by some of the Duke's servants. The bandits had been deposited at a village they had passed, along with many of the goods that had been stolen from them. The local authorities would deal with them.

"Such a punishment is too mild for such low-lives. They should be taken to the desert to bake" the duke had complained. In fact, all he had been doing was criticise and threaten anyone who didn't follow his every whim. He had yet to try and carry out any of his threats, but it was obvious that he was very abusive of the power he had. Or thought he had. The funny thing about power is that you only had it as long as people were willing to follow you. Sparks wondered how long it would take until even the Duke's own knights wouldn't be willing to follow his orders. Still, Sparks had better things to think about than the Duke. Come tomorrow, he wouldn't have to see that uptight mule ever again. He doubted Quinn would invite him around any time soon.

The troop's three squires sat around him listening excitedly. They had yet to experience a real battle and the mere mention of fighting thrilled them.

"And then what happened?" the only brown furred monkey in the group asked.

"Well, after I rescued the young damsel and freed the prisoners from their bounds we went to make our daring escape. However, I had barely turned around when the valley was overrun with bandits. There was fifty, no, a hundred of them. Every one of them suited head to toe with the deadliest weapons that-"

"O' please, Sparks. T'was not more than twelve altogether. Additionally, they only carried a single blade each. Poorly constructed too. Your peasant friend, the blacksmith, makes far better material." Maclaurin interjected, pausing from eating the orange fruit the group had found in one of the crates.

"Uh, excuse me. Who art the one telling the story? Me, so stop interrupting. Although I shall be sure to tell my friend about the compliment you just gave him" Sparks replied, smirking. Maclaurin rolled his eyes.

"That's so many" chirped one of the squires.

"Did you beat them?" asked another.

"Did you die?" asked the brown furred squire.

"Of course he beat them, you idiots. How else would he be here?" yelled the other squire.

"Hey, Beet, we was just asking" the brown furred monkey snapped.

"Well, t'was a stupid question, Glen. You even asked if he was dead" Beet said.

"Hey, it could'st hath happened!"

"Thou'st an idiot"

"I art not"

"Thou are'st too"

"Art not"

"Are'st too"

"Alright! That tis enough" Sparks said, pulling the two apart before their fight could escalate. "Now do you want to hear the end or not?"

"Yes" they said in union and sat quietly.

"Good" Sparks said, making himself comfortable again. "Now, where was I? O' right. There I was, preparing to fight the scoundrels to my dying breath when Maclaurin came in and took their leader by surprise. Then together we bashed their entire crew to the ground…I defeated the most o' course"

Maclaurin scoffed at this.

"There be no possible situation where you could out-battle myself, Sparks. I am this troop's strongest warrior."

"Well prepare to have your pride squandered Maclaurin, because I took out two bandits before you even showed up and five while you were there. That makes seven altogether" Sparks boasted.

"And I did take on five bandits at once, as well as their leader"

"Wait, that makes more than twelve…Did one of us bash the same bandit twice?"

"More certainly thou miscounted. Thee hath always been lacking in the mathematical department"

"Who is good at mathematics anyway? Only boring monks actually study that stuff"

"Perhaps, the two of you could simply call it a draw" Sparks and Maclaurin looked up to see their Commander join their small circle. "However, if we are bragging about past victories I recall once taking out seventy-six soldiers in a single battle."

"Seventy-six" repeated the squires in awe.

"Ah, yes, I remember you speaking about that battle. The Sand Dune Battle. We attempted to grab the land from the Southerners so we could hath access to water passageways. Did we not lose that fight in the end?" Maclaurin commented.

"Sadly, yes. Not every battle we fight shall be a victory, Maclaurin. However, I like to think that tis the effort we put in rather than the end result that matters. So long as we live to fight again, all it means is that we gain experience. At least, that's what I told my squire. He was never fond of losing." The Commander grinned.

"Quinn was still your squire then, was he not?" Maclaurin added curiously.

"Ah, yes. I remember he was such a small squirt then. He barely came up to my elbow, if I recall correctly" the Commander said, spacing out as he tried to remember more.

"Wait, when did you tell this story? I never heard it." Sparks asked, confused.

"Probably because you were not listening, although there isn't anything unusual about that" Maclaurin said.

"O' haha. Still, seventy-six? That is a great deal of soldiers right there. Not that I don't think I could beat that record. I could go for taking out seventy-seven. Are you sure there was that many?" Sparks asked.

He glanced at his Commander in surprise. It wasn't that he didn't believe that his Commander had done so; he was famous for having been a great swords fighter in his day. He once even worked for the late king himself. His age shocked Sparks. The Commander's red fur had faded over the years and the grey patches on his body were becoming more noticeable as the days went by. And that battle was so long ago… Sparks shook his head. That was a thought he didn't want to think about. Still, it was no secret that the squires he was training now were to be his last. The Commander noticed Sparks' sudden change in mood.

"Now I know my golden days are over, and I may not be as quick and strong as I used to be, but this old knight still has some kick in him. After all, I trained you two and I hath still been keeping up with you all"

Sparks gave a small smile at this. The Commander smiled back, however it soon faltered.

"I know this troop is small but all of you hath so much potential. I know thou all shalt do extraordinary things. Mayhaps you shall gain squires of your own one day, or even something more. Still, these old bones shan't last forever. Someone shall hath to take my place eventually. Therefore, I would like to select one of thou as my official second-in command to take charge should I be absent for any reason"

"Is that even necessary?" Sparks asked. "I mean, there is only six of us. Do we even need a second-in-command?"

"Well, it never hurts to be prepared, one never knows when we may be called to battle. T'would also be nice to take a holiday once in a while, would'st thou not agree?"

"You should put me in charge" piped Beet.

"No, me" said Glen.

"I want to be in charge" called the third squire.

The knights chuckled at the squires' enthusiasm.

"Now, now" said the Commander, amused. "This is a position for an experienced knight"

"Aww." They sighed in union.

"So who hath thou selected, Commander?" asked Maclaurin.

As if he needed to ask, thought Sparks. It was obvious that Maclaurin would be chosen, who else would the Commander pick?

"After careful consideration, I have decided to give the position to Sparks"

Everyone stared dumbfounded, not sure they had heard correctly.

"What" said Maclaurin and Sparks, confused.

"Thou art placing _me_ as second-in-command?"

"Thou art assigning _him_ as second-in-command"

"That tis…AMAZING! Are you serious? Am I really second? Do I really get to lead everyone around when you're not there? Do I get some sort of uniform for this? Can I-"

"Sparks" the Commander called as his newly announced lieutenant began rattling off words faster than anyone could understand.

"Sorry I was…I was not expecting that" Sparks apologised, trembling slightly in excitement.

"No one was" muttered Maclaurin.

"Thou art allowed to be excited. I know I was when my Commander selected myself to be his right-hand monkey." the Commander said, his smile returning. "And as your first duty as lieutenant, perhaps thee should like to lead the troop home tomorrow. I can escort the Duke back on my own. Thee hath all worked hard this week, thou hath earned an early leave."

The squires cheered at this and Sparks too was ecstatic.

"Alright. Thou heard'st the monkey. Thee be following me tomorrow. Better get some sleep, we'll be leaving early"

"But we aren't tired" moaned the squires. Sparks grinned slyly.

"Alright, but anyone who stays up is on night watch"

This earned a squeal of horror.

"Actually, yeah, we are tired"

"Yeah, yawn, bedtime"

"Yep. G'night"

With that, the three rushed off to their tents. Sparked smirked, folding his arms.

"Works every time"

The commander chuckled at this, before standing up.

"Well, it has been pleasant speaking with you all but I too need my sleep if I am to be escorting our new friends back home" With that, the Commander left for his tent, leaving only Sparks and Maclaurin sitting next to each other.

"So, shall we take shifts? I can go first if you want" Sparks said.

"Why not simply order me to do it? After all, thou hast that power now." Maclaurin said, seething. Sparks began feeling awkward. He had just taken the job Maclaurin had spent years training and studying for.

"O' right, you wanted that position. No hard feelings, right? It was the Commander's choice. Who am I to object to it? You could'st always be third-in-command if thou wants." Sparks said, trying to compensate. He didn't want his friend to be angry at him. Maclaurin didn't look at him, instead clutching the handle of his sword.

"Maclaurin? Art thou alright?" Sparks asked, placing a hand on Maclaurin's shoulder. Maclaurin exhaled deeply, released his grip on his sword and mustered a small smile at his comrade.

"Of, course I am. Congratulations Sparks"

"Thanks" Sparks replied sighing with relief. He was glad to see his friend was not angry at him. "So, about the night watch?"

"I will take it. The night is half over already. Thou wilt need thy rest if thee plan on leading up back home"

"Art thou kidding? I could navigate us through the mountainside with my eyes closed" Sparks bragged. Maclaurin rolled his eyes. "Of course thou could"

Sparks chuckled then yawned. "Well, goodnight." With that, he too headed off to his tent. Soon everyone was slumbering except for the orange monkey. Maclaurin sat by the dwindling fire, one hand clutching his sword, the other holding his brown cloak closer against him. It was starting to get cold. Maclaurin stared off into the night with nothing to keep him company except his own thoughts.

He wanted to be happy for Sparks, he really did. There would be other opportunities for him to succeed. This was only a minor setback. There was no reason to be angry with Sparks. This was the Commander's decision, not his. But it was the wrong choice, the wrong person. Sparks was not a leader. Sparks didn't know how to execute battle plans, he barely managed to follow orders. He was too passionate, too impulsive. He could get everyone hurt. More importantly though, Maclaurin knew that he was the better choice. He was the one with the skills for leadership; he could come up with brilliant strategies. It was thanks to him that they had won so many of their fights. Maclaurin decided that he would just have to speak to the Commander about his decision. But that could wait until morning.

Staring into the dark, Maclaurin could see no one. As the night went on there were moments where he though he saw movement, though it was too fast to be a monkey. It unnerved him, the feeling that something was out there. Watching. Waiting. It was probably all in his head, just a figment of his overtired imagination. The feeling didn't shake though.

Something was out there and it wasn't friendly.

The sun rose. Both groups were soon up and preparing to head in their separate directions. Maclaurin found the Commander just as he finished saddling his horse.

"Pardon me Commander" Maclaurin called, gaining his leader's attention.

"O' good morrow Maclaurin. Art thou saddled up and ready to go?" the Commander asked happily.

"Of course. However, before we departed I wished to speak to you about something in private" Maclaurin said, putting emphasis on 'private'.

"O' you need not worry about any of them Maclaurin. I doubt anyone here has an interest in eavesdropping."

"I would prefer it"

"O' alright then. Come, let us go for a walk"

The Commander led the orange monkey away from the group. As the two walked Maclaurin began speaking again.

"Where are we headed, Commander?"

"Nowhere in particular. Tis just a stroll. We need not have a destination. Now, what was it thou wished to speak to me about?"

"I am…unsure about thy decision about your second-in-command. Are you sure thou made'st the right choice?"

"I was sure that was what you wished to speak about. I have no regrets in my decision, Maclaurin."

"But why though" Maclaurin asked, frustrated. "I have far superior talent for battle strategies and diplomacies. My sword fighting is unmatched."

"I understand that Maclaurin. However, it takes more than skill and strength to lead. One needs to be able to do what is best for their troop and others. Tell me Maclaurin, if you had to make the decision between winning the battle or rescuing a comrade in need, which would you choose?"

"The battle sir. As unfortunate as it is to lose a member of the troop, far more lives would be lost if the enemy were not defeated."

"While I suppose that is correct, the truth Maclaurin is that there will always be battles that we cannot win, but comrades cannot be replaced no matter what we do. That is why I picked Sparks. He puts people first. After all, what use is winning the battle if there is no one left afterwards?"

"I understand, Commander, however the truth of the matter is that Sparks is not a strategist. His plans could very well endanger everyone."

"I will give him training, Maclaurin. He shall be prepared for the responsibility I am giving him. He will still need your strength and wisdom though. I need you to watch out for him"

"I could do so much more if I were in charge though."

"I know you wanted this position Maclaurin. I will put good word in for you with the Duke. However, I believe Sparks will get more out of this than thou would"

"I suppose you are right"

The Commander smiled at him.

"You will have your chance. I have spoken about the both of you to my fellow Commanding officers. There are quite a few that would like to take you aboard"

Maclaurin lightened up at this. "I understand sir and…I respect your decision"

"That is wonderful to hear. Now we best hurry now before my new Lieutenant leaves without thou"

Sparks and the rest of the troop had just finished saddling up and were preparing to leave when Maclaurin and the Commander arrived.

"Good morrow, Commander, Maclaurin." Sparks called as the two walked over. "Thou looks tired Maclaurin"

"Night watch has that effect" Maclaurin replied. "To be honest, I felt as though something was out there watching me last night."

"T'was probably just a rabbit or something"

"Probably"

Sparks turned to the Commander. "Are you sure thou art alright coming back on thy own, Commander? I could always come with you and let Maclaurin take the others back?"

"I will be fine Sparks. Thou need'st not worry" the Commander replied. "Though I appreciate the concern"

"Well, if thee are sure" Sparks said.

"O' and before I forget, this is for thee Sparks"

The commander pulled something out and placed it in Sparks' hands. Looking at it Sparks saw that it was a silver emblem, similar to the gold one that hung on the Commander's black cloak. Sparks attached the emblem to his brown cloak so that it hung in the centre of his chest.

"Just to make it official" the Commander said, grinning.

"Thank you" Sparks said earnestly.

"You are most welcome. Well I best be letting thee off. I would'st not want thee to hath to camp in the mountainside tonight. I shall see thee all in about a week."

"Alright, I shan't let thee down Commander"

"I know thee shan't, Sparks"

The troop waved the Commander off. Once he had left Sparks turned, grinning at his troop members.

"Well, what do you think? Do I look good in this or what?" he asked.

"I think thy head is full of air" Maclaurin replied.

"O' admit it. I look handsome in this"

"Are we just going to stand here all day or are we going to leave?"

"O', right. Alright troop. Let's move out!"

With that, Sparks hopped onto his borrowed horse. The others climbed on theirs.

"I hope thee do not plan on showing off the entire way" said Maclaurin.

"Well, not the entire way" Sparks said, smirking.

Maclaurin shook his head, amused. This was going to be a long trip home. Though with Sparks around, at least it wouldn't be boring.

* * *

**And there we are.**

**Sparks is second-in-command. Has the world gone mad? Well this is the Medieval era, so who can say?**

**Good grief, there is so much foreshadowing in here. I wonder if anyone can guess what will happen?**

**Maclaurin says that Sparks is full of air. He's not saying Sparks is stupid, rather he has so much wit (air) that he is getting arrogant.**

**The elements are very important for themes in the story. So is metal.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave a review. Constructive criticism is appreciated. **


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